Hinkle and Johnson win Transou Junior

In just five years the Transou Junior has become a major event for young golfers in the fall. The growing popularity of the event has brought juniors from North Carolina to join the best golfers from the Palmetto State.

Brady Hinkle of Lancaster added the Transou title to the CGA SC Boys Match Play championship.

This year nine of the top-ten junior boys in South Carolina played in the tournament as a field of 98 players competed for the championship.

Elle Johnson and Brady Hinkle each put another victory on their golfing resume with wins at the tournament hosted by Cherokee National Golf Club in Gaffney.

Johnson, who won the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea last month, claimed the girls title at Cherokee National. The Spartanburg High School golfer won the championship

in a playoff.

Brady Hinkle from Lancaster, the 2016 CGA South Carolina Match Play champion, held off a late charge by Jacob Bridgeman to win the boys title by a shot.

Hinkle trailed Trent Phillips from Boiling Springs by one shot after the first round. Phillips shot a 2-under par 70, while Hinkle carded a 71.

It took the future College of Charleston golfer just one hole to erase the difference. Hinkle eagled his first hole in the second round.

Brady Hinkle of Lancaster won the Transou Junior at Cherokee National Golf Club.

“I made about a 15 footer for the eagle and then I made a bunch of birdies on the front nine,” Hinkle said as the young golfer finished the first nine holes at 5-under par 31.

He kept the momentum going on the back nine until he bogeyed number 15.

While Hinkle apperead to be in control of the tournament Jacob Bridgeman from Inman was shooting the best round of the event. The future Clemson golfer shot a 7-under par round of 65 to hold the clubhouse lead.

“I played well, but I gave a couple of shots back,” said Bridgeman. “I had two bogeys and I wasn’t able to birdie 18 (par-5) and I thought that could have made the difference,” he said.

Hinkle seemed to be in control until the 15th hole. A bogey actually dropped him a shot behind Bridgeman, but he was able to get it back on the very next hole.

“I bounced back with a birdie on 17. I made about a 20 foot putt to get the shot back,” he said.

Hinkle didn’t know how well Bridgeman had played until the final hole. “I had no idea what anyone in front of me was shooting. Someone told me as I got ready to tee off on number 18,” he said.

With a one shot lead Hinkle knew a par would win the tournament. His second shot landed about 30 feet from the pin. He needed three putts to finish the hole and make the par that gave him a one shot win.

“This win shows me that my game is getting back in shape. I’ve gone the entire year not playing the way I wanted to, but this gets me back on track,” he said.

Hinkle shot rounds of 71 and 67 for a 6-under par 138 total. Bridgeman and Alex Goff of Kings Mountain each shot a 65 in the final round to post the lowest rounds in the event.

Bridgeman finished in second with a 139 total while Goff finished third with a 140 total. Gaffney golfers Zack Gordon and Seth Taylor finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The rest of the top-10 included, sixth Rhett Merritt from Easley, seventh Trent Phillips from Boiling Springs and eighth Nathan Franks from Roebuck.